Build A Fortress
by IceBlueRose
Summary: Leonard is forced to let one of the worst moments of Sara's life happen. He doesn't know that it's what he does afterwards that will help her in the years to come.


**Warnings:** Noncon/rape

 **Notes:** Just a couple of quick notes, to clear up any confusion - this is set right after Sara has been taken out of her cell by the sailors (the flashback in Arrow's 2x05, League of Assassins) with a couple of differences. One, I only had it be the two sailors that originally threw her in her cell rather than a group of six or so like the show had. Two, and this is the main one, Ivo doesn't show up to stop anything from happening to Sara, as I'm sure you've gathered by the warning. Finally, thanks to TML9115 for sending me a list of villains when I mentioned that I wanted to set this post-Destiny but I wanted to use someone other than Savage and for letting me bitch at her about how the rest of the world is distracting. Thanks also to StarryDreaming for letting me talk through where a good stopping point would be.

* * *

Leonard's eyes flicked to the side as Sara led him down a hallway on the Amazo. She was tense and had been since the moment that Rip had uttered the name Anthony Ivo. The man had gathered them on the bridge and told them that he needed Sara and Leonard for this specifically. Ivo had documents detailing plans for a drug called Mirakuru that a new villain, going by the name Brainwave, was trying to get his hands on and Gideon had determined that the year that Brainwave had been in contact with Ivo was 2007.

He'd felt the way Sara had tensed beside him even as she nodded. Leonard had narrowed his eyes when Rip had taken a deep breath and said that she knew the freighter better than the blueprints Gideon had found and she also knew the men's schedules so she'd be the best option to have with Leonard on this mission.

Leonard had been standing close enough to feel the slight tremble go through her body as she agreed and then turned to go get ready.

Now they were making their way through the ship and it was too quiet. Leonard couldn't get over the fact that they hadn't run in to a single problem yet. Sara had only had to pull him in to a side room once to avoid someone and that didn't feel right. It was as if this area of the ship was deliberately clear.

As if that thought had been some sort of silent signal, a scream rang out from somewhere up ahead, echoing down the hallway.

It was Sara's voice.

Leonard moved forward, his gaze snapping to the Sara that was next to him. He could see the look of realization slowly crossing her face. The faint look of horror in her eyes was enough to set him off and he broke in to a run.

He could hear the voice of the younger Sara getting clearer as he got closer to the sound and what he could hear made his blood run cold even as rage came over him. He could hear the slap of skin on skin, one man grunting while another laughed, mocking Sara as she cried and begged for them to stop.

Sara, who he'd never seen cry, not even the day that he'd woken up in the med bay after being pulled from the time stream, where he'd ended up after the Oculus. He'd woken to a smile full of relief, promise, and happiness and a hand wrapped around his but no tears had fallen.

Now all he seemed able to focus on was the sound of her voice, choked with tears as she said things like _please_ and _stop_ and _get off me_.

His hand went to his gun, curling around the handle as he slowed down so that he'd be able to pull open the door that had been left slightly ajar. Just as he moved forward, Sara stepped in front of him.

"Stop," she told him, her voice barely above a whisper.

That one word was enough to cause him to stop in mid-step. He couldn't ignore that word the way the men in that room were.

"Sara," he said, his hands clenching around his gun when the younger Sara's second scream was cut off. The Sara in front of him, _his_ Sara, looked like she was going to be sick listening to this happen and Leonard suddenly felt like an ass. If he was angry listening to this, what must Sara be thinking at having to relive it?

She didn't respond at first, simply wrapped a hand around his wrist and pulled him in to a gap in the wall that was just big enough to fit the two of them. Now that they were pressed together, he could feel her shaking.

"You can't stop it," she finally said, squeezing his wrist and lifting her eyes to meet his. "As much as I would love to let you go in there and turn them in to ice sculptures, you can't."

"Why not?" he demanded, twisting his hand so that he could grip hers.

For a moment, she was silent, her hand tightening around his at the sounds they could hear coming from the room just ahead. Finally, she let out a shaky breath. "Because this happening is what started me towards becoming who I am today. It's what led to me pushing myself to learn so much from the League and then led to the Canary. It led me to the Waverider." The _it led me to you_ was silent but he could practically hear it in the way she looked at him.

He wanted to say that didn't matter. As long as she didn't ever have to go through this, then he'd damn well find a way to make sure they met. After all, even if she forgot him, he'd still remember changing things so he'd just have to find her again and he's been jumping through time and space, damn it, he could do it.

But it did matter. It mattered to her because if he stopped this from happening, he changed who she was and the look on her face said that the very idea of that terrified her. He wouldn't do that to her, no matter how much it was killing him to listen to what was happening to her younger self.

Closing his eyes in resignation, he dipped his head and pressed his forehead against hers. "Okay," he whispered.

Eventually, no more sound came from the room and Leonard let out a shuddering breath and opened his eyes, gripping Sara's hand as tightly as she held his.

The door opened all the way and two men exited, one fastening the button of his pants. "Don't even think of going anywhere, bitch, or this is going to seem like a vacation," he ordered before shutting the door. "Let's go tell Ivo she's as prepared for his offer as she's going to get."

"He was right, I think once will be enough to get her to agree," the other said.

"Too bad. She'd probably be more useful as stress relief than whatever he's thinking of."

Their footsteps echoed as they walked down the opposite hallway, away from where Leonard and Sara were. Sara's grip on Leonard's hand had tightened to the point that he could feel his bones grinding together.

"I always said that Ivo saved me," she told him softly. She shook her head rather than continue but Leonard understood exactly what she meant. She'd thought for years that Ivo had saved her and now she was finding out that while he'd pulled her from the ocean, he was the one behind one of the worst experiences of her life. "You should go get the documents. It won't be long before Ivo shows up."

Leonard would love to have a go at that bastard right now but instead he nodded and slid out from where they'd been hiding. He squeezed Sara's hand one last time before quietly making his way towards the door. He only paused long enough to double check that no one else was coming before he slipped in to the room and shut the door behind him, wincing at the clang the door made.

Behind him, Sara cried out and he turned, his heart twisting as he took in the sight of her huddled on the bed, clutching her robe around her body.

God, she was so young. Leonard swallowed and took a step forward, pausing when she whimpered and pressed herself back against the wall. He cursed mentally. Of course that would frighten her after what she'd just been through.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he told her, making sure to keep his voice soft. When she looked back at him, a small bit of hope in her eyes, he felt like the worst person in the world as he added, "I'm not here to let you out either, no matter how much I might want to." He scanned the room until he saw the desk and then nodded at it. "I just came to get some paperwork."

Leonard went to the desk, taking care to keep from making any sudden movements that might scare her any further. He quickly began to search the desk, checking the surface as well as the few shelves on top before he began opening the drawers and rifling through the files there. He let out a small huff of satisfaction when he found what he was looking for. Grabbing them, he turned to find Sara staring at him, curiosity plain on her face. She looked away the second their eyes met, lowering her gaze to her knees.

He moved towards the door and then paused, unable to stop himself from turning back. Leonard knew that he was probably already cutting it close but he had to do this. "I know that it doesn't feel like it now but you're strong. You're going to survive this and you're going to get off this freighter and there's going to come a day where no one will ever put their hands on you without your permission."

Sara slowly looked up at him. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked, her voice shaking.

He paused, his eyes meeting hers steadily. "Because no woman should ever suffer at the hands of men."

She sucked in a breath at that and he inclined his head towards her before he turned back and headed straight for the door. He had just started to open it when he heard her whisper,

"Thank you."

Leonard hesitated and turned his head to the side just enough that he could see her staring at him still. He gave her a small smile and then walked out, heading straight for where his Sara was waiting. She turned her head as he walked up and he reached out, taking her hand and pulling her out in to the hallway.

"Let's get out of here."


End file.
